Automatic mechanism for playing musical instruments.



PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907.

A. E. OLNEY.

AUTOMATIC MECHANISM FOR PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,

APPLICATION FILED JULY28, 1900. RENEWED 1333.7,1905.

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JJGJ Q. GM1 f, flffla a PATENTED JAN. 1, 1907 A. E. OLNBY. I

AUTOMATIC MECHANISM FOR PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 28, 1900. RENEWED FEB. 7, 1905.

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[we/xiv r Tj tracker-board mid sheet ;Wi1l i1 1s 1 a resiucnt shire n'ii fiutonlotlc i trumsnts, i which tho om! e1; crrptroh.

My invent/hm the chiss oi PM? for autom the keys the sound or bcii-i nmic oper rated seri s of mechaniu h DRE; e sit-y ii he dctermioeo andproduce thrusts or blows of the parts of tus which directly opcmtc uponsound-controlling members of t instrument in conjunction with apparatusis to be used of varying iegrecs of force for giflng ioud or softnotcsb3: the instrument being operated.

The inven ion consists in certain. portionhtr combinations orarrangements of parts,

an so bstgvn tialiv as hereinafter set forth in the rims.

in the 1 8- horizontzi cross-section taken on s tracker-board. i'o itshows in Fig. 1

if: represents-2i suitabie .0

Work in the upper part of '1 mi i.

tes imoro it v czniy or mechanic I nos or organs or tor i1 oiiin (toxic5 ni ing or other musical i and has for its objects to prorid particularand improcd manner at stirs by pncumeans in the appoints arranger.

oying drawings, which represent a lnechaoism em'ood rig-my illvlllis,Fig. 1 trig. IS a i'iorizontoi taken on a iower piano on the hne'y 7 oising vof frail neforms-(i ibcrs any liellewto a keys or musical inch the )exi, and

.trna 'x 1 werportion oi tinsame v at of chambers of the son-i the dimstir e:

M 4 thrust-s tern hi one or or- 11k??? or waive or rage on oomrnertostrike thrusvstcms may either he of on here SAUWII or any other rodand by the rising and :lipiilrzignzs b operate the keysconnected inthem. t-hc1r rininhrsgms grouped ope" ing's cc for each note in thescale, and from which opening extend the tubes :0 in opposite directionsand cominunicote with corresponding neumatics G c placed in theexhaust-chambers A a). This tracker-hoard is to controlled by means ofvalves, keys, or perforations in a. sheet of paper 1, which is movedalong over its top, and whici'i. sheet of paper is provided with"g'icrioraitions of different Widths and lengths, accordingto thecharacter and length of the notes to be sounded. The tubes X m connectat their outer ends with the passages N, made in the walls of-the casingK, and which communicate directly with the 0 I 2 1S pneunm-ties {I c,corresponding to each one 01 e the tubes. Commun cating with each ofth-se passages N from the chambers A a is a semi! aperture E 11, throughwhich the air from the passages and the pncmna-tics J c is exhausted bythe vacuum maintained in said chambers for the purpose of insuring thatthe pneumatic-s will remain closed until air is admitted to them throughtheir corresponding openings in the tIECkQT-bozil'd. 50 soon as ntrumcnt or other mechanism Eur is mhnittcd ihc pm-unmtics Uc Xpand 15valve for each'port T.

Q; 1 ceases zontally a isingle chamber or channel F, which is open throuh the port Q to the atmosphere, and which chamber F communicates,thrcpgh a series of ports R, with a se- .ries of chambersiS,corresponding to the notes of the scale, each of which chambers S hasa'port T through its side forcommunication with the exhaust-chamber A.These chambers F S extend horizontally through (O the exhaust-ch amberA, and extending horizontally at,right, angles through the chambers F'and' each chamber SV 18 a valve-rod U, which carries the valve 0 ineach chamber V, the valve 0 for-each ort R, andthe iach chamber Scommunicates, through the channel h, with a chamber B above the diafhragm b, so that when the ort R- is normal yclosed the air in the chainers B and the channels h is ex- 'hausted by the suction in the chamber Aand the diaphragms raised. At the same time that the port 'T is closedby its valve 0 the corresponding port It in the opposite side of thechamber S is opened by its valve'O,

5 caused by the endwise movement of the rod U, and then air passes fromthe chamber F throughthe port E into the chamber S and through thechannel it into upper portion of the chamber B,for the purpose ofestablish- 0 ing an atmospheric pressure above and insuring thedepression of the diaphragm b and conesponding thrust stem M to operatethe corresponding key, valve, or lever of the musical instrument beingplayed. The out- 5 ward endwise or return movementof the valve-rod U iscaused by the spring J placed in the chamber V, and which spring keepsthe valves 0: O normally closed and the valve; normally open and at thesame 0 time assists ingthe closing of its corresponding neumatic C; butwhen the said pneu inatic O is inflated the pressure of the, pneumaticagainst the outer end of the rodU over- I comes'the pressure of thespring J and closes 5 .yalve O and opens valves 0 O The chamber A-isdivided by the vertical partition W, so as to form a series ofsubdivided chambers V, which are placed side by side and separated from.each other by the partitions Through the outerside of each chamber V isa port Y, through which valve-rod U passes, and which port is normallyclosed by the valve 0. As long as the valves 0 are closed there is nosuction or ex-' 5;, haustion in the air-chambers Vand through them fromthe channels N and the spacesbelow thedia hra ms. When the valve-rods Uare force end wise by their corresponding v pneuniati cs' C, theirvalves- 0 uncover the jco ports Y, and,'then the suction is exerted fromchamber A upon the chamber or chair bers- V andltllrough the channels Nupon the chambers underneath the diaphla ms 6.

Thefin'ner ends" of the valve-rods L form valves G,'-which prevent thepassages of air through: the down-passages 1 of which passages thereisone for'each note of the scali "and which passages are normally open tothe atmosphere. It is onlywhen the corresponding pneumatic O for one ofthe valve-rods is expanded. and the rod is forced endwise against thepressure of its spring J that'the corresponding air-passage 1 is closed.At the same time that the valve G closes the passage 1 the valve 0closes the port T and prevents 5 any suction above the top of thediaphragm b, and the valve 0 permits the air to pass through the port Rand channel b above the dia hragm.

l en the pneumatic C collapses, as iiisured by the closing of thecommunication with the outer air at the tracker-board, and the spring Jreturns the valveerod and valves to their normal positions, suction isexerted from chamber A through the chambers S and I channel h above thedia hragmb, and. then the diaphragmfis; raise and its responsive actionor recovery is quick. The suctionchamber a, constructed in the oppositeside of the casing of the apparatus from the chamher A, is dividedvertically by the partition 2, and the space upon the inner side of thispar,- tition 2 is divided into chambers ,3, which correspond to eachnote in the scale, by a series of partitions 4. Through the partition 2there is formed a port 5, corresponding to each chamber 3, and for each'chamber 3- there is a corresponding valve-rod 6, carrying the valve 0and, a pneumatic 0. Upon the inner end of each valve-rod, whichissupported in its endwise movements by suitable bearings is placed aspring 7', which holds the valve 0 normally against its port ,5, so thatno suction can take place from the chamber athrough the passage N andagainst 10 5 I the-corresponding diaphragm in the chamber B until one ormore of the Pneumatics c are expanded by the admission of air throughtheir corresponding tubes x and then the exjthe air from under thecorresponding dia- 12o phragr'n l) and which then closes the air-passage1, the suctiontakes place through the chamber a and through a passage N,leading to underneath the diaphragm, to act as an auxiliaryto thesuction-chamber A, assisting 1 2 5 in the exhaustion of the air fromthereunder. Leading from near the bottom of-each corresponding or pairedchamber V'and 3 are short passages 9, which connect with one of thevertical passages i through which suc- 13o iveiy irs 01' pr ct and means7 1i w. RG11 L f {1} T11 and means a vurm and it will mare usu chami'w:

Mm mp t: @posa the aims 4G as tens;

-s of 4. Inan automatic mechanism for playing a musical instrumenh twosuction-chambers incommon to two sets of individual valveoperatingmechanism, a trackenboard, provided with paired or each groupcorresponding scale, pneumatic in each suction-chamber,

to one note in the individual to each' note, in communication with arespective tracker-board opening and having'by a restricted opening acommunica tion with its suction -chamber, an individualdiaphragm-chamber corresponding to a given note and diaphragm, anindividual duct adapted to have through. valved openingscommunications-from both ci said suctionchamb ere-with thediaphragm-chamber, indivaryin diaphragm..

- sounding tlirust o chambers therefor,

vidual valves, controlling communication be tween both suction-chambersand said individual duct, which valves are in'relationto theircorresponding neumatics tobe 'operated thereby, to open such valves,

g the freedom of communication between the suction-chambers and saidducts, a thrust member, 0 erated by the diaphragm, andv means for eeating the recovery of the 5. In a mechanism for automatically play inga musical instrument, a series of notecontrolMg said members a ductleading to each diaphragm-chamber, neuinatic apparatus-comprising achamber,

with valved passe es communicating with chamber, an individual saidducts, asecon ary chamber having also communication with said ducts,;and automatic means for opening communication be tween the, primarychamber and said ducts,

strict'ed opening a communication with the I suction-chamber, anindividual diaphra m dilct having by a valved opening a communicationchamber and diaphragm, an individual from the suction chamber to thediaphragmvalve, controlling communication" between the suction-cha n berand said duct, which valve is in relation to its corresponding pneumaticto be operated for closk ing the valve, a thrust member, operated bythediaphragm,

thereby, to open such valve, means an individual channel or way leadingto the diaphragm-chamber at the opposite side of the diaphragm from theen trance of said duct, and having ports which communicate both with thesuction-chamber and the outer air and valves concurrently operated bythe corresponding individualpneugrouped sets of openings 'c'hambenatracker board T of paired opemngseach pair correspond 7 means for toopen suchvalve,

. controlling members, and-diaphragms in 1 Y opening 'tli arespectiveclosing chamber S from the seaseo' matic for closing communicationbetween'f e said way andthe suction-chamber, opening it I tothe air, andfor reversing said relations, for? the purpose set'forth.

'7 In an automatic mechanism for playing a; musical instrument, acommon. suction provided witha' se ing to anote in the scale, andapneumatic in: dividual' to eachnote in communication with 'ing by arestricted openings communication with the-suction-chamber, anindividual diaphmgm-chamber -correspondingto each note, anddiaphragmtherein, an individual duct having y a valved opening a communica tionwith the suction and diaphragmchamhere, an individual valve, controllingcommunication betweenthe suction-chamber and said duct, which valve isin relation to'itscoro -75. .a respective tracker-board openingand,hav-' responding pneumatic tobe operated therebyp! means for,closing the valve, a thrust-member, operated, by the diaphragm, and asecondary commonsuctionchamber having respective communications :withthe above ducts, valves for opening and; closing such communications,pneumatics, said v valves operated from; the tracker-board, and meansiorregulating the; degree of freedom of communication between 'saidducts and said suction-chambers.

neumatic mechanism for playing the combination with a.

tures, a common suctionechambeii A,-a com-x tion chamber a series ofindividual. diephragm-chambers 13' corresponding to individual'no-tes, aseries suction-chamber which have connections" with the tracker-boardopenings, and

-mon air-chamber F inclosed within the sueof pneumatics, in said istrictedly with the suction-chamber, the series of'individual channels Vhaving ports mmicating with av diaphragm-chamber under,th'e diaphragmtherein, the serial individual channels or chambers ing neumatics andhaving t .0 for simultaneously opening port Y, and suction-chamber,

note operate by a resppctivle once) of Saki";

.e ae an".

and opening it tothe air-chamber E, selfi retracting means for, thevalveste m.,

to'the suction-chamber, and'com- I I S, communicat- 1 with thediaphragm-chambers above 5 their diaphra ms, a valve-stem U for each*and , t 2o an automatic mechanism for play ng" a musical instrument, thecombinat on with an apertured tracke B with. diaphragms therein, aseries of ind.

.-board, a common suction-ohainher, a series ofdiaphragm-chambers' vvidual ducts leading to the chambers B- {be low the diaphragins therein,andconnectingchannels V having ports opening to the stmtion-chamber, acommon air-chamber, F, individual chambersS with portsopening topassages in leading trom'the chambers 55- to the chambers B above, thediaphragrns, a-

series of pneumatics'in communicaticn'w'ith V the tracker-boardapertures and restrietediy with the suction chamber, a valve-stemactuated by the pneun'iatics having the valves G O and O, operative onthe expansion of their corresponding pneumatic to open a channel V tothe suction chamber and a chamber S to the air-chamber closing thelatter from the suction-chamber and a series of passages Z communicatingfrom the outer air to below the diaphragm, and a valve opera'ted by thepneumatic to close said air-pas sage when the lower portion of chamber Bis in communication With the suction-chamber.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of mechanismfor striking the theri'1enot es and the accompanimentenotes distinctlyas such, independently of the relative position of, said notes in themusical i scale, and means, controllable at Will, While the device is inaction, for gradually changing the expression of said theme-notes; as awhole independently of said accomp ammentnotes, so as to-g1ve theoperator complete control at'ali times over the volume of sound of saidtheme-notes independently of their relative position in the musicalscale.

11. in a device of the character described, the combination of means forselectively striking the accented notes and the unaccented notesdistinctively as such, inde-- pendently of the relative positions ofsaid notes in the musical scale, and separatemech' anisms, controllableat Will during the operation-of the device, for gradually changing theexpression of said accented notes as a Whole and of said unaccentednotes as a Whole, independently of said relative posi tions of saidnotes in said musical scale. 4

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusett's, this 28th day of March,1900. i

ALLAN E, OLNEY. Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLoWs, JULrUs DGARFIELD.

